NIGERIAN Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), says it has been able to complement powering its instrument Landing aids at the nation’s airports for 24 hours daily with the use of solar energy installed as back up to its main power source.
The agency also said it has saved millions of naira due to the successful installations of solar powered energy by its air traffic engineers.
Speaking at the 2018 Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers, (NAAE) in Lagos, Managing Director, NAMA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu said the air traffic engineers have contributed immensely to air safety in the country.
The annual general meeting of the air traffic engineers afford members the opportunity to rob minds, brainstorm, take stock of their activities in the past year and make projections for the year ahead.
Captain Akinkuotu represented by the Director Operations, Mr. Idowu Ogunfowora said instrument Landing aids were functioning optimally with the installation of solar panels to provide 24 hours power to surveillance facilities by the engineers adding that this had saved a lot of revenue for the agency.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of aviation, Alhaji represented by Mr. Clement Awobami said all professionals in air navigation must work together to promote safety in the industry, adding that government had invested massively in the provision of air safety facilities.
In his address of welcome, the National President, NAAE, Engr Ishaya Dung harped on their role of being the key link in the aviation safety chain, linking the air traffic Controllers and the pilots.
He noted that it was sad that the air traffic safety electronics personnel, ATSEP were yet to be recognized in the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO annex 1
Engr. Dung noted that this informed the choice of this year’s AGM theme: Aviation Safety, the ATSEP LINK.
Meanwhile, IFATSEA at its 48 General Assembly conference adopted that as a matter of urgency to evolve ways of increasing the income of the body in order to get more drive into the inclusion of Annex 1
It also called for a template as a baseline training of the ATSEP to be developed by IFATSEA in line with ICAO document 10057 to boost the agitation for inclusion into Annex 1
A statement signed by the NAAE president, Engr Ishaya Dung, the Assembly also gave NAAE the mandate to develop the model template for ATSEP training for Africa.
The association assured of commitment to the implementation of the adoptions of the IFATSEA 48 General Assembly and commended the minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika and some heads of aviation agencies for their support in training of ATSEP to encourage professionalism.
